GSH Detox Protocol

Article Summary: This article is a continuation of AGA – Diet – Detox and is followed by Blocked Detox. For many with chronic illnesses like Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), the ability to eliminate toxins from the body has been compromised. In the case of CIRS, intestinal inflammation resulting from a weakened gut lining dampens down all three Phases of detoxification to a trickle. On top of that, add in heavy metals from materials like mercury fillings and lead paint along with a list of chemicals in everything from soaps to the foods we eat. In response to this onslaught, our bodies valiantly try to eliminate what they can and tuck away the rest of it in fat, bones, and elsewhere in an attempt to minimize the damage. Unfortunately for many, its not enough and our health suffers. In this article, I describe in detail the gentle detoxification program I’ve come up for myself that includes everything from supplement details to directions on how to make a better Liposomal Vitamin C and Liposomal Glutathione (GSH). The end result is an actionable plan that is both cost effective and straightforward. July 28, 2015

Introduction

I realized after writing AGA – Diet – Detox that I needed to take the loosely knit liver detox recommendations in that article and come up with a detailed plan. In that article, I discussed how liposomal C, liposomal Glutathione (GSH), the Ayurvedic herb called Haritaki, and binders work synergistically to improve upon the three phases of liver detoxification. Improved liver detoxification not only enhances the clearing of biotoxins that make those with CIRS sick, but also helps clear a whole range of chemicals and heavy metals.

In this article I’m going to lay out the plan that I intend to use. It’ll include getting started, dosages, and timing along with suggestions on how to keep costs down. I would have posted the article sooner but it has proven to be surprisingly difficult to write. In part, it’s just hard to wade through the litany of recommended supplements to come up with an actionable program that doesn’t include taking handfuls of pills during the course of the day. Also, everyone is different so I had to try and figure out what I believe will be good for most people while providing the most benefit at the least cost.

To give you the “lay of the land”, I’ve broken up this discussion into four sections. The first is PreToxing, followed by the three Phases of liver detoxification. Let’s dive in!

PreTox

Chris Shade talks seriously about the need for some to “pre-tox” before diving into ramping up the three phases of liver detoxification. From my experience and in working with a few others, this seems like very good advice. Certainly when it comes to Biotoxin Illness, we know that there are folks that can’t tolerate either Cholestyramine (CSM) or Whelcol and that the reason for this has to do with an inability to handle the side effects of moving toxins out of the body. Note: Please read my Binders article as intensification of symptoms taking CSM or Whelcol can also be due to either active or post Lyme.

Even if you happen to be one of the lucky ones that can tolerate CSM, I do not think it’s a good idea to start moving a whole bunch of other toxins by ramping up liver detoxification until you’re off CSM, have cleared MARCoNS, removed inflammatory foods from your diet, and preferably had amalgam (mercury) fillings removed. Mercury fillings should be removed by a Biological Dentist that knows how to do this without spiking your mercury levels even higher. In addition, you also need to avoid toxins in general and drink clean water. A good place to start learning about chemicals in the home is a book like Super Natural Home and when it comes to clean water, make sure your filter removes both chlorine and fluoride.

In ramping up liver detoxification, a whole range of toxins will begin moving out via the liver and kidneys. The list includes metabolic end products, micro organisms, pollutants, insecticides, pesticides, food additives, drugs, alcohol, excess hormones, some vitamins, steroids, and so on. If you’re still loaded up with Biotoxins, are eating foods that inflame your system, or exposing yourself to toxic cleaners and the like, then at a minimum, you’re going to be wasting money on expensive supplements that will be used up pulling toxins out of your body that either CSM will handle or you could have eliminated through avoidance. At worst, you could experience severe fatigue, body aches, skin eruptions, and gut distress. If this happens, it’s your clue that you either need to pre-tox some more, back down on detoxification supplements, or are inadvertently exposing yourself to an excess of toxins.

Please take my advice. You need to feel reasonably robust before ramping up detoxification. If you have any reservations, pre-tox as outlined below and always make sure to start out slowly.

PreTox – Diet

Before we look at some pre-toxing details, I want to say a word or two about food allergies. We know that folks with CIRS are very often low in the important hormone MSH. When MSH is low, gut issues including leaky gut are soon to follow. Leaky gut leads to food allergies. This happens because large food particles inappropriately pass through the intestines into the blood stream. When these large food particles are encountered by the immune system, they are viewed as foreign invaders and IgE antibodies are created to clear them.

From then on, anytime you eat one of these foods, your body mounts an immune response. Among other reactions, the IgE antibodies trigger mast cells to produce histamine. Histamine can cause an allergic reaction that only clears when this “metabolic end product” is removed through liver detoxification. In other words, eliminating allergic foods is going to help a lot at reducing the load on the liver freeing it up to clear other stored toxins.

Unfortunately, uncovering hidden food allergies can be a challenge when a person is highly inflamed. Certainly eliminating the main culprits makes sense – milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. It’s important to do this in a systematic way by following a book like The Plan. Essentially, you need to start with a very simple diet and then systematically add one food at a time while watching for a reaction. Although this approach works for many, I was so symptomatic at the time I tried this elimination diet that I couldn’t tell what foods I was reacting to. Another approach to identifying troublesome foods that will be helpful, even if you can’t identify many of them because you’re very reactive, along with dampening down the immune response over time is a Rotation Diet.

Even though the consensus seems to be that food allergy testing is unreliable, I felt like I needed some point of reference so I went ahead with Cyrex’s Array 4 for cross-reactive foods done along with NeuroScience Panel of 110 foods – Cyrex didn’t have their Array 10 at that time. Personally, I believe a test like the 110 foods is sufficient but I do find it interesting that according to articles by Dr. Kharrazian (who is working with Dr. Aristo Vojdani from Cyrex Labs), foods that do not have gluten in them can still cause a gluten reaction. Apparently, certain foods have similar segments of amino acids in their protein makeup as gluten to such a degree that the body views them as being one and the same. As a result, eating these foods can trigger the same reaction (cross-reactive) as if the person ate gluten. That’s why some that go gluten-free don’t realize significant benefit.

Not surprisingly, I had allergies to all the foods I craved or ate frequently. Eliminating these troublesome foods most certainly has helped reduce inflammation and the toxic load my liver has to deal with. I remember when I was really sick lying on the kitchen floor alone, completely out of it, and in a lot of pain. Out of the blue, this loud voice in my head says, “Eat meat”. I sat up startled and thinking, “Huh”? You see, I’d been a vegetarian for decades because I believed it was healthful. It’s funny how the psyche works but the more I studied about food and the difficulty of getting important nutrients found primarily in meats, along with the importance of fats to rebuild cell membranes, did this mysterious message start to make sense. I now eat high quality grass fed beef, free-range chickens from a local organic farmer, and wild caught fish (not from the Fukushima toxic Pacific Ocean). Eating lots of organic vegetables, good meat, and a couple fruits daily along with avoiding processed foods will go a long way toward improving your health.

PreTox – Increase Drainage

So let’s finish this section by looking at specific supplements to help with pre-toxing. As noted, by pre-toxing you reduce the risk of suffering from a bad detoxification reaction – severe fatigue, body aches, skin eruptions, and gut distress. This is especially true for those with impaired liver function. According to Chris Shade, pre-toxing helps to remove toxins from the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) – the space between the cells in the body. After pre-toxing, liver detoxification involving glutathione (GSH) removes toxins trapped inside cells. You can read Chris’s specific pretox recommendations in Pre-Tox Protocols: Preparing Sensitive Patients for Hg Detox and Detoxification: Safe, Effective and Without a Healing Crisis.

My take-away from reading about pretoxing is that if you end up having a reaction after starting liver detoxification using Liposomal C, Glutathione (GSH), Haritaki, and binders, then it may make sense to back up and do a month of pre-toxing. Of course, this is assuming you’ve been on CSM, improved your diet, cleaned up your home, and the like. Chris recommends several supplements but also goes on to say that he especially likes Quintessential 0.9 as a “one size fits all” pre-tox supplement taken for 30days. Similarly, Dr. Klinghart recommends mixing 2-3 tablespoons of BioPure Matrix Electrolytes in a liter of water to help with detoxing the ECM. Along these lines, another electrolyte option is Celtic Sea Salt. In addition to electrolytes, it always makes sense to exercise moderately, rebound, get massages, and engage in prayer/meditation to further aid detoxification.

This all seems straight forward enough. However, as I was reading about pretoxing, I began wondering how pretoxing by taking extra electrolytes relates to Osmolality and ADH. As we know, most folks with CIRS have high Osmolality as a result of excess sweating and urination. That is, they have too strong of a concentration of electrolytes relative to the amount of water in their bodies. In case you didn’t know, electrolytes consist primarily of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium along with smaller amounts of other minerals. In healthy individuals, the body responds to high Osmolality by increasing the Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH). It does this because ADH triggers the body to hang onto more water and thereby dilutes the electrolytes reducing Osmolality. Unfortunately in CIRS, ADH does not increase with high Osmolality with the net result being that serum (blood) electrolyte concentrations are too high – the person walks around dehydrated for the most part.

So on the one hand, we’re told to take in electrolytes because people with CIRS urinate frequently and tend to sweat a lot. Sweating and voiding deplete electrolytes. On the other hand, even though folks with CIRS are losing electrolytes, their Osmolality remains high because they are really dehydrated. Why would those with CIRS want to take more electrolytes when their Osmolality is already indicating that they have too many electrolytes in relation to the amount of water in their bodies? Won’t taking more electrolytes just make matters worse – raise Osmolality? In other words, we know that in general taking electrolytes helps clear the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), but is this true for folks with high Osmolality and low ADH?

The only specific reference I could find that addressed this concern was in Better Health Guy Physician’s Round Table 2012. At this conference, Dr. Klinghardt discusses addressing low ADH with Matrix Electrolytes, EMF reduction, restorative sleep, and others. So it seems there is some support for taking electrolytes by those with CIRS – albeit scant. When I reflected on my own situation, I concluded that I should be getting enough of two of the major electrolytes, potassium or calcium given the amount of vegetables I eat. Furthermore, I supplement with Natural Calm Magnesium so this takes care of magnesium. When it comes to the electrolyte sodium, I’m currently adding ½ a teaspoon of Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt upon waking to help ameliorate the effects of low waking cortisol levels and also add ½ teaspoon in every liter of water I drink – with a maximum intake of 1.5 teaspoons. As such, I’m getting plenty of sodium compared to the amounts in a typical electrolyte solution.

In case you’re wondering, the reason salt helps in the morning for someone with low morning cortisol levels has to do with your adrenals. In the morning, the adrenals are working hard to raise cortisol levels in order to increase blood pressure so you don’t pass out when you stand up. The way the adrenals do this is by increasing the sodium to potassium ratio. By giving your body extra salt (sodium) the moment you wake up, stress on your adrenal glands is reduced making you a bit more resilient during the day.

The amount of salt I consume is based upon recommendations by Dave Asprey and Dr. Ackerley. In phone consultations about CIRS, Dave recommended consuming roughly .05 grams per pound of weight for adults. He explains why salt it good for most people in this YouTube video. I weigh 165 pounds, so this works out to about 8 grams. At 0.18 teaspoons per gram, that’s about 1.5 teaspoons of salt daily. In a phone consultation with Dr. Ackerley, she recommended 1/2 teaspoon of quality salt in each liter (about a quart) of water for those with CIRS and low ADH believing that it may help with hydration. For folks with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) that causes them to feel light headed upon standing, she discussed adding in coconut water for the carbs and sugar along with the salt. Hmm, coconut water is an excellent source of electrolytes. I’m beginning to see a pattern here regarding electrolytes and CIRS. Note: Don’t increase salt intake if you’re taking Lithium, are obese, have hypernatremia, hypertension, are a cardiac failure patient, and the like. Watch for elevated blood pressure and swelling in the ankles.

So my take-away from digging into PreTox is that my electrolyte levels should be in good shape given my current diet and salt intake. As Chris Shade eluded to, adequate electrolytes is the key to PreToxing. In addition, I’ve already had all my mercury fillings removed, cleaned up my home, changed my diet, and the like. As such, my assumption is that additional PreToxing isn’t necessary. My approach will be to start right in with glutathione (GSH), Haritaki, and binders to ramp up detox. If I get into trouble, I’m just going to slow way down and continue with the protocol – I just don’t see much additional benefit from adding in specific PreTox supplements like Quintessential 0.9.

For those that do have trouble detoxifying, I would consider using some type of “detox kit”. Dr. Neil Nathan likes to use the “PEKANA Big Three Basic Detoxification & Drainage Kit” from BioResource. This product uses German Homeopathics that consists of Apo Hepat, Renelix, and Itires. These three items help improve liver, kidney, and lymphatic drainage. According to Dr. Nathan, this product has been helpful getting people that “have great difficulty detoxifying going again”. Note: To save money, consider buying the individual bottles as opposed to the kit.

As an aside, when I looked over various ways to make homemade electrolyte rich juice using lemons, limes, oranges, honey, Sea salt or Real salt, all mixed in water, I must admit my mouth watered. Although I don’t consider electrolyte juices to be a mainstay in this protocol, given that I’m dehydrated much of the time, I do think I’ll be adding in these tasty drinks. It doesn’t hurt that they can help clear the gunk in-between the cells and keep me hydrated.

Phase I Detox – Supplements – Liposomal Vitamin C

Although I’ve already mentioned the importance of cleaning up your environment in the PreTox, its worth mentioning one more time. Related to impairment of Phase I detoxification, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sulfa drugs (some antibiotics), barbiturate drugs (anxiety & sleep), steroids, carbon tetrachloride (fire extinguisher, refrigerant, cleaners), exhaust and paint fumes, dioxin (waste-burning incinerators), pesticides, and grapefruit juice all put greater stress on Phase I. When it comes to Phase II, a low protein diet, aspirin, other NSAIDs including ibuprofen, smoking, birth control pills, and yellow food dye further tax Phase II detoxification. These are just the known associations. In the U.S., there are over 80,000 chemicals in use. Science has only just started pondering the toxic effects that occur when these chemicals are combined in the human body. In 2005, the Environmental Working Group found 287 chemicals in umbilical cord blood of newborns. Of those found, 180 cause cancers, 217 damage the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development. What happens when they are combined is anyone’s guess.

There are natural solutions for every chemical that is used in the typical household. All it takes is the commitment and little research. Get a book like Super Natural Home and start getting the chemicals out of your home today. Given the number of by-product produced by the massive inflammation that CIRS causes, those with CIRS can’t afford to further load their detoxification system with additional toxins. Get rid of the chemicals, reduce ElectroMagnetic Field (EMF) exposure, run an air purifier, eat organic, and drink filtered water (chlorine and fluoride). Your body will thank you for it by returning to health.

Supplements

If I haven’t already convinced you of the importance of eliminating grains and processed foods along with eating organic meats and lots of organic vegetables, take a look at books like Grain Brain or Wheat Belly. Alternatively, go on YouTube and watch videos under these titles. Furthermore, it goes without saying that simple sugar in all its forms is highly problematic especially for folks with compromised gut health like those with CIRS.

In saying this, I’m reminded of a clip in the 2014 CIRS Conference wherein Dr. McMahon starts off one of his presentations by pointing out that CIRS requires that patients change their entire lives. As difficult as this is to get a grasp on, it’s so true. The sooner this reality is embraced in full, the sooner complete healing can be realized. At a minimum, your diet must change, you’ll need to learn to avoid mold and other biotoxins, and you’re going to be taking binders and other supplements for a long, long time. It’s a lot to ask but in exchange, you get a new life. It almost assuredly will look a lot different than the old one, but I’d argue it’ll likely turn out to be more potent and fulfilling in many ways.

When it comes to supplements, the list of vitamins and minerals required for detoxification to work is long. In my research, Vitamins B3, B6, B12, A, C, D3, and E combined with folinic acid and milk thistle are important to Phase I. The nutrients B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E, folate, SAMe, glycine, taurine, choline, methionine, betaine, selenium, N-acetyl-cysteine, MSM, magnesium, molybdenum, and zinc are important to Phase II. I’m not saying a person needs to supplement all of these nutrients but some level of support is prudent.

One of the striking facts I learned is that many people in the so called “first world” countries are deficient in many vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E along with Calcium, Magnesium, and Omega-3 fatty acids are often mentioned. In part, we’ve got modern farming practices that destroy the soil biology through the use of harsh fertilizers and chemicals to thank for this. When the tiny microbes in the soil die, the intricate relationship between the plant and these microbes is broken. The result is that all the micro-nutrients that these microbes provided to the plant are no longer available to the plant. On the surface, the plant looks healthy but upon closer examination it’s devoid of many critical nutrients that everyone else further up the food-chain relies on.

The two sources I looked to when setting up my own supplementation plan were Dave Asprey and Paul Jaminet in The Perfect Health Diet. In a perfect world, a person would test for a lot of the key nutrients and then supplement to bring them up to proper levels. Realistically, Dave Asprey recommends most people should be supplementing Vitamins A, B12 , D, C, K2 and Folinic Acid along with Magnesium, Iodine, Selenium, Copper, and Krill oil. The table below represents the amounts recommended by Dave Asprey and Paul Jaminet along with the time of day to take these supplements.

The question is what’s the easiest way to supplement for these nutrients? If you begin looking at the ingredient deck of better multi-vitamins like All in One Multi-Vitamin, it’s readily apparent that you’re not going to come close to meeting these recommendations with a single pill. This is why Dave recommends individual supplementation. Personally I take each of these nutrients as individual supplements in the recommended amounts except for Vitamins C, B12 and Folinic Acid. For the B vitamins, I supplement according the Rich Van Konynenburg’s Simplified Approach For Lifting Methylation Blocks. When it comes to Vitamin C, I’ll take 10 grams or more in liposomal form daily during detoxification and 5-10 grams otherwise – see below for more on Lipsomal C.

In addition to these recommendations, Chris Shades recommends that those actively ramping up detoxification should also supplement with a Multi-Mineral that includes 15-30mg of zinc that is to be taken during the “off days” of their protocol. I personally take Carlson Labs Liquid Multiple Minerals as this brand was recommended by Dr. Sherry Rogers in her book Detox or Die in relation to FIR saunas. I also plan on adding in an extra 15mg of zinc during detox by taking one Jarrow Zinc Balance.

Carlson Labs Liquid Multiple Minerals

Dosage: 3 Capsules

Calcium

400mg

Iron

18mg

Phosphorus

300mg

Iodine

300mcg

Magnesium

200mg

Zinc

15mg

Selenium

105mcg

Copper

2mg

Manganese

6mg

Chromium

180mcg

Molybdenum

75mcg

Potassium

99mg

Boron

10mg

Vanadium

1mg

Liposomal C & Milk Thistle

In addition to the supplements mentioned, I will also be taking Milk Thistle (Silymarin) during active detoxification. Milk Thistle is a polyphenolic that improves both Phase I and Phase II detoxification and is often mentioned in this regard. In addition to enhancing the work of the liver and kidneys, Milk Thistle also lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and can increase glutathione (GSH) levels by up to 35%. Typically, 200mg per day is taken for maintenance and up to 600mg a day during active detoxification.

And finally, the most important supplement to support Phase I is Vitamin C. As discussed in Phase I of my article AGA – Diet – Detox, Vitamin C is a critical anti-oxidant. In Phase I, Vitamin C helps quench free radicals in the form of metabolic by-products caused by inflammation and in those produced as toxins are being detoxified. As an added benefit, Vitamin C also helps boost glutathione (GSH) used in Phase II.

Using the Liposomal C Calculator and the 3-Cup Recipe below, I calculate that 2.1 teaspoons equals 10 grams of Vitamin C taken in pill form. This compares to having to take 5-8 tablespoons of the older Liposomal C Recipe. Of course, you should divide the total dose into four or more smaller doses over the course of the day. For larger amounts, the dose should be divided up to 15 times – read Vitamin C – Titrating to Tolerance. Dr. Humphries discusses her recommendations in her Lecture on Vitamin C at 1:20:00.

During enhanced detoxification, my plan is to take a total of 6 teaspoons (equivalent to 30 grams in pill form) of liposomal Vitamin C several times over the course of a day. Otherwise, I plan on taking 1-2 teaspoons during the day. I’ll try to do this on an empty stomach and make sure to rinse my mouth out with water after to save my teeth from un-encapsulated ascorbic acid. Unbuffered Vitamin C is hard on enamel. Note: If you’re using oxygen therapies like HBOT or ozone, make sure to take liposomal C at least 30 minutes afterwards as its important that your body is unprotected from oxidative stress during oxidative therapies in order to trigger the desired anti-oxidant response. Note: It’s better to use buffered Vitamin C in the form of Sodium Ascrobate – see Additional Liposomal Vitamin C Notes below.

Note: If you can’t bring yourself to making your own liposomal Vitamin C, Dr. Humphries recommends Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C by LivOn Laboratories. Alternatively, you can simply add Nutribiotics Sodium Ascorbate powder to water that you drink over the course of a day. Note: If taking Vitamin C in pill or powder form, make sure to drink plenty of water to offset the slight risk of kidney stones.

Updated Liposomal C Directions

In a small saucepan, add the water, Vodka, and Vitamin C. While stirring, increase the heat just enough to dissolve the Vitamin C completely. Remove the pan from stove immediately after.

Add the dissolve Vitamin C solution to a clean blender and then add in the lecithin. I found that by reducing the lecithin to 170 grams (20% less than what’s called for), the consistency was just right.

Blend the mixture at a medium-high setting for four minutes and then place in the refrigerator to cool.

Re-blend the mixture after it has cooled making sure the temperature doesn’t exceed 89°F/32°C. Cool and re-blend a total of six times.

After the final blend, pour the mixture into the Ultrasonic Cleaner and run it for 30 minutes.

You want to drive out the bubbles. Do NOT mix by hand. Note: Mixture will exceed 89°F/32°C.

Using a spoon, skim off the bubbles at the end of the 30 minutes and refrigerate.

After cooling, ultrasound the mixture another 30 minutes or until 89°F/32°C is reached.

I suspend two Pyrex 600mL Heavy Beakers just off the bottom of my Ultrasonic Cleaner filled with water. It’s easier to fit the beakers in the refrigerator for cooling. Also, the slight risk of nano-sized metal particles from the ultrasound basin being encapsulated is eliminated by using Borosilicate glass beakers.

Once I use up my soy lecithin, I’ll be switching to granulated sunflower lecithin. There is some concern over whether any soy is truly non-GMO along with the small amounts of toxins that are introduced to soy on the farm and during processing.

Phase II Detox – Haritaki – Glutathione (GSH)

Although there are six different Phase II detoxification pathways, the king of these is detoxification through conjugating toxins with Glutathione (GSH). I’ll talk about GSH later on, but for now I want to focus on an important supplement related to detoxification, Haritaki. As mentioned in AGA – Diet – Detox, Haritaki is an amazing herb that is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Here’s a list of studies showing some of its benefits. Related to detoxification, Haritaki ramps up Phase II and III detoxification primarily by enhancing the GSH pathway. It is so effective that Chris Shade from QuickSilver Scientific relies primarily on this herb to ramp up detoxification of heavy metals.

QuickSilver Scientific has brought real innovation and clearer science to heavy metal detoxification. Medical experts like Dr. Mercola and Chris Kresser have spoken highly of the QuickSilver detox protocol. A key component of QuickSilver approach is Haritaki. This is made clear in the Quicksilver Detox Webinar along with reviewing the ingredients in the protocol. To give you a sense of its efficacy, at the 50 minute mark, Chris Shade mentions a study wherein old rats were given the equivalent of 6 grams of Haritaki (Terminalia Chebula) for an adult. The results were dramatic increases in GSH, GSH enzymes, along with vitamins C and E bringing their levels up 25-35% – equivalent to those of young rats. Note: Young rats with already optimum levels did not benefit from Haritaki.

One question is how much Haritaki should a person take? Looking over QuickSilver Detox Protocols, we see that clients start by taking 2 ClearWay Cofactor capsules containing Haritaki and eventually work up to 12 capsules. The capsules are taken before meals. When I weighed the Haritaki Terminalia Chebula from Vadik Herbs, I found that 6 grams filled 1.6 teaspoons. I’m guessing the Haritaki powder that I intend to buy from Banyan Botanicals in the future at half the price will measure out roughly the same. This works out to ¼ teaspoon per gram. As such, a person on Level One would start by taking ¼ teaspoon of Haritaki powder before breakfast alone and someone on Level Three would take ¼ to ½ teaspoon of powder before each of three meals. That’s simple enough. Note: Haritaki may reduce blood sugar levels so those taking blood-sugar-lowering medications should consult their doctor.

QuickSilver Detox Protocols

Now let’s take a closer look at Glutathione (GSH). As mentioned, GSH does a lot of the detoxification work. As we get older GSH and GSH enzyme levels typically drop. On top of that, when our bodies are stressed from illnesses like CIRS, a lot of toxins are produced as a result of the damage done by all the inflammatory processes. Although taking Haritaki will help with toxin removal, Chris along with many others recommends supplementation with additional GSH, Vitamin C, toxin binders, etc.

Unfortunately, you don’t have to read long before you realize that GSH taken orally never gets into the blood because it is broken down in the digestive track. Fortunately, just like with Vitamin C, the solution is to wrap the GSH with a layer of fat – to create a liposome around the GSH. The procedure is essentially the same as with Vitamin C.

Other approaches to boosting GSH are to supplement with GSH food precursors as suggested by Living Soil Herbal Farmacy. Although I’m sure this approach has merit, typically liposomal GSH is most often recommended and is the approach I will be using. For those for whom this isn’t possible, consuming whey protein, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), milk thistle, cruciferous vegetable, and various others may be used. Given the expense of commercial liposomal GSH, I’ll be working to make my own liposomal GSH in order to save some money.

When it comes to dosage, typically 500 to 800mg of liposomal GSH is recommended as a preventative. The major liposomal GSH manufacturers recommend between 420 to 500mg daily. For acute treatments, therapists recommend between 2000 to 5000 mg daily. Looking at QuickSilver Scientific literature, between 4 to18 pumps of Etheric Glutathione daily are recommended depending on what Level you’re on. Two pumps contain 100mg of Reduced Glutathione and 120mg of Phospholipids from Sunflower lecithin. This works out to between 200 – 900mg of QuickSilver Scientific Reduced Glutathione daily in liposomal form during detoxification. Note: If you’re using oxygen therapies like HBOT or ozone, make sure to take liposomal GSH at least 30 minutes afterwards as its important that your body is unprotected from oxidative stress during oxygen treatment.

I’m sure I won’t come close to producing the super small 100-150 nano-meter lipsomes in QuickSilver products. As such, I’m going use more than QuickSilver Scientific recommends to make up for the lesser absorption rates of my homemade liposomes. For myself, I plan on starting at 200mg and working up to 2,000mg. Note: Dave Asprey takes 1,000mg/day of liposomal GSH as a preventative and 3,000mg when traveling or after taking a mold hit.

Here some specifics about the recipe I’m using. This recipe was extrapolated from Quality Liposomal Vitamin C. In it, there are 141g of GSH per liter of solution or 87mg of Reduced GSH in every 1/8th teaspoon of solution. You can compare this to BulletProof liposomal GSH (replaced with Glutathione Force) that contained 200g of GSH per liter of solution (9g/45mL). Update: PureFormulas has the best Reduced GSH price – $89 for 150 grams as of August 2015.

When it comes to dosage, this works out to a starting dose of roughly 1/4 teaspoon and a maximum daily dose of 2,000mg or roughly 2.5 teaspoons. At 2.5 teaspoons per day this recipe will last 14 days at a cost of about $35 – compared to over $150 for 14 days of QuickSilver Scientific Liposomal GSH at 12 pumps a day. Granted the QuickSilver Scientific product is much higher quality, but I’m already doubling the amount of Reduced GSH to compensate for this. Note: Tylenol and alcohol rapidly deplete glutathione.

3/4-Cup Liposomal GSH Recipe

Ingredient

Grams

Volume

Brand

Water

75

5.1 Tbls

Distilled Water

Vodka

85

6.3 Tbls

Absolut Vodka 40%

GSH

25

6.6 Tbls

BulkSupplements Reduced GSH

Lecithin

50

6.1 Tbls

NOW non-GMO Soy Lecithin

Dosage: About 87mg GSH in each 1/8th teaspoon of solution

Liposomal GSH Directions

In a small saucepan, add the water, Vodka, and Vitamin C. While stirring, increase the heat just enough to dissolve the GSH completely. Remove the pan from stove immediately after.

Add the dissolve GSH solution to a clean blender and then add in the lecithin.

Blend the mixture at a medium-high setting for four minutes and then place in the refrigerator to cool.

Re-blend the mixture after it has cooled making sure the temperature doesn’t exceed 89°F/32°C. Cool and re-blend a total of six times.

After the final blend, pour the mixture into the Ultrasonic Cleaner and run it for 30 minutes or until 89°F/32°C is reached – better to keep cooler. You want to drive out the bubbles.

After cooling, ultrasound the mixture another 30 minutes or until 89°F/32°C is reached.

I suspend one Pyrex 600mL Heavy Beakers just off the bottom of my Ultrasonic Cleaner filled with water. It’s easier to fit the beaker in the refrigerator for cooling. Also, the slight risk of nano-sized metal particles from the ultrasound basin being encapsulated is eliminated by using Borosilicate glass beakers.

The saturation of GSH in water is 200g/L. This liposomal GSH mix has 198g GSH per liter of water. This follows the recommendation to saturate the solution.

Similar to the liposomal vitamin C mix, this liposomal GSH mix is 14% alcohol and 21% lecithin by weight.

Once I use up my soy lecithin, I’ll be switching to granulated sunflower lecithin. There is some concern over whether any soy is truly non-GMO along with the small amounts of toxins that are introduced to soy on the farm and during processing.

Phase III Detox – Binders

In Phase I and II, toxins are readied to be pulled out of the cell. In Phase III, these toxins are transported out of the cell and into the small intestine. Transport proteins are responsible for this movement. These transport proteins act as mini efflux pumps that use ATP energy to do their work. They go by acronyms like cMOAT, OAT, MRP1, MRP2, and OS-X. These transport proteins move toxins that have been bound up (conjugated) with GSH along with other toxins that have been tie up with one of the other five Phase II conjugates – see AGA – Diet – Detox. These special proteins move the toxins out of the cells and ultimately through either the kidneys or liver. Although there are many types of conjugated toxins produced in phase II, the pathway for removal of these myriad of conjoined toxins using the transport proteins is the same. In other words, when phase III is broken; you can’t detoxify any toxins very well (retention toxicity) regardless of their type.

Taking binders helps on two fronts. First, binders glob onto conjoined toxins that make it to the intestines thereby preventing re-absorption. Second, binders maintain a physical separation between toxins like heavy metals and the endothelial lining of the gut. This limits gut inflammation as toxins like heavy metals prevent the flow of conjugated toxins from the liver into the gut and from the blood into the gut. This is critical as according to Chris Shade who says that the biggest reason Phase III doesn’t work well is due to gut inflammation. As such, the focus of Phase III is all about binder selection and intake.

I’ve read a lot of material on binders over the years. The area of discovering what binder(s) work best to address a given medical condition is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, one point is clear and that is that binders do work. The difficulty is selecting the right binder(s).

When I reflect on the situation for those with CIRS related to ramping up detoxification, I see three categories of toxins that need to be dealt with. The first is the obvious one, namely biotoxins from mold, Lyme, and such. The second is all the toxic metabolites (waste products) that are produced from CIRS inflammatory processes. And the third is the typical onslaught of toxins we’re exposed to in our environment that includes heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, radiation, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, antibiotics and other drugs, steroids, exhaust and paint fumes, and on and on. In the material that follows, I’ll give you my take on binders related to each of these three categories of toxins.

Mycotoxins

When it comes to CIRS and biotoxins, Cholestyramine (CSM) is King. I don’t know of one doctor that treats mold that says otherwise. Granted, there is a range of reasons some folks can’t tolerate CSM, but when they can, it’s the binder of choice – see Binders.

Related to my situation, even though we’ve cleaned up our house and I’m careful to stay out of known-to-be-moldy establishments, some level of exposure is inevitable. As a result, I typically take between one to two doses of CSM on a daily basis. My understanding is that it’s not uncommon for those with CIRS to be on a full 4 doses a day for a year or more (while they work to get out and stay out of exposure) and then eventually drop down to maintenance doses depending on their level of exposure.

By the way, I’ve been sitting in the phone consultations with my sister and Dr. Mary Ackerley. Dr. Ackerley commented that for some unknown reason prices for CSM have gone up dramatically and that Medicare is stopping coverage. She mentioned you can get CSM coupons for $44 (as of May 2015) at GoodRx and that it might be worth it to also check into the prices in Canada.

For people that simply can’t afford or tolerate CSM, Dr. Ackerley has recommended zeolite clay and charcoal “for years with good results”. In fact, Dr. Ackerley initially worked with mold expert, Dr. Michael Gray before being certified in Dr. Shoemaker’s protocol. According to Dr. Ackerley, Dr. Gray has mostly just used clay and charcoal with good success. Her recommendation is 2 tablespoons of HealthForce Nutritionals ZeoForce (zeolite) and two capsules of activated charcoal 3 times daily for folks. She suggested starting with half of this dosage to reduce the risk of constipation.

By the way, in a phone consultation, when Dave first started out treating CIRS, he took CSM four times a day. After he got better, he was taking 1 dose of CSM, 1 tablespoon of activated charcoal, and 1 ounce (about 3 tablespoons) of Bentonite clay only whenever he got a mold hit.

When it comes to zeolite, this clay is known to be somewhat better at binding heavy metals while Bentonite clay is more frequently mentioned in the context of mold toxins. Also, Dr. Klinghardt has commented that some zeolites actually increase aluminum levels in the body and in a phone consultation with Dave Asprey, Dave commented that he got a gut infection when using a high-grade zeolite. Knowing this, I’m going to avoid zeolite for now.

Inflammatory Metabolites

CIRS is all about inflammation and the damage it causes when it goes unchecked for any length of time. Clearly there is some serious mopping up that needs to be done when it comes to all the metabolic by-products that are being endlessly produced as the body is forever trying to repair this on-going inflammatory damage. These metabolite tax the detoxifition pathways.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any specific recommendations for binders in this regard. What I did find were recommendations for binding the waste products associated with Candida (yeast/fungus) in the gut. I will selecting binders based upon these recommendations.

When it comes to Candida, Dr. Mark Hyman recommends taking two to three activated charcoal capsules (0.4-0.6 tsp) every four to six hours daily to help mop up toxins released when treating Candida yeast. In addition, he recommends taking “a soluble fiber supplement that contains guar gum, alginates, psyllium seed, or pectin to bind to yeast toxins before bed” to help reduce the “die off” reaction.”

Along the same lines, chemist Richard C. Kaufman in The Universal Antidote and Detoxifier That Extends Life: Activated Charcoal says “activated Charcoal adsorbs much of the toxins that Candida produces that otherwise would be absorbed by the blood and carried throughout the body”. He recommends between 20-35 grams (6-11 teaspoons) of activated charcoal a day in divided doses on an empty stomach during acute symptoms. That’s a lot of charcoal!

Charcoal & Clay Measurements

One tablespoon of activated charcoal weighs about ten grams and one teaspoon about 3.3 grams.

The question is how much. Along with the recommendation from Dr. Ackerley and Dr. Hyman, one general recommendation for charcoal is to take 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal in a glass of water 1-3 times daily for general health, 4-7 times daily for colds and flu’s, and 8-12 times a day for serious illnesses. Regarding Bentonite clay, for general use, 1 tablespoon daily is often recommended with a maximum of 4 tablespoons for serious health issues.

Given all these recommendations, I’m planning on taking 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal and 2 teaspoons of Bentonite clay 2 times daily at least 30 minutes away from food, supplements, and medicines. I will also be adding in my maintenance doses of CSM during those two times. At another time, I’m also planning on taking 1-2 doses of Chlorella too – see Detox Protocol Summary below.

We’ll see if the “plumbing gets backed up”. If it does, I plan on reducing the amount of liposomal Vitamin C and substituting with Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) in pill or powder form. Note: Although there are some super fine charcoals out there, they are quite expensive so I plan on using a standard USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) product which means it has an internal surface area of 1000 square-meters/g.

Heavy Metals

Inevitably, ramping up detoxification is going to pull out some heavy metals that will then show up in the intestines or urine. For metals in the gut, one approach to making sure these metals go out with stool and don’t further inflame the gut is to use QuickSilver Scientific IMD Intestinal Cleanse with its many “high-strength covalent heavy metal binding sites”. Based upon the reports of others who’ve used QuickSilver Scientific’s detoxification protocol along with my respect for Chris’s work, it sounds like a very good heavy metal binder especially for mercury. One issue I have with it is that a 2-month vial costs $150. This works out to $2.50/day. I’m already spending $35 every two weeks to make my own liposomal GSH; it starts to get too expensive for my budget. Note: I’m not saying I won’t buy and use a vial or two of IMD Intestinal Cleanse during this process but I doubt that I’ll use it exclusively for heavy metals.

Given the expense of IMD Intestinal Cleanse, Chlorella, looks more promising. Dr. Klinghardt and others often recommend Chlorella for its metal binding abilities. Chris Shade who looks at binders from a strictly chemical perspective says that Chlorella is second only to IMD Intestinal Cleanse – albeit a rather distant second. Furthermore, it should be noted that although Chlorella is decent at binding mercury and uranium, it’s only mediocre when it comes to binding aluminum and lead and has negligible benefit against cadmium and arsenic.

On the other hand, the common chelating agent called EDTA is known for its ability to bind to lead and cadmium, along with being able to pull out some arsenic and aluminum. EDTA is not good at removing mercury. Having said this, this protocol is not about heavy metal detoxification. In fact, EDTA actively enters the bloodstream and goes about binding to metals. The bulk of these EDTA bound metals go out through the kidneys as urine with only 10% passing through the liver and intestines. EDTA is not a binder that simply remains in the gut globbing onto whatever lead, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum it can find.

As such, I’d only consider using EDTA in a completely separate heavy metals detoxification program. From the perspective of this article, I’m more interested in finding binders that will latch onto the inevitable flow of heavy metals that are being relatively slowly removed through ramping up Phase I and Phase II detoxification pathways and ending up in the intestines. Hard core heavy metal detoxification is a whole other world unto its own.

Related to removing metals, it’s also important to realize that whenever detoxification is ramped up, important minerals/metals that the body needs will be removed too. This is inevitable and is why it so important to supplement with minerals on days when detoxification isn’t being ramped up – “off days”. These off days are important not only because they give you a chance to re-mineralize your body but also because your body needs to rest. Chris Shade has commented that ramping up detoxification with no rest days results in the detoxification pathways slowing down to baseline levels even when taking extra Vitamin C, Haritaki, GSH, and binders. It’s important to give your body a chance to catch up and regroup.

So my overall game plan regarding mopping up heavy metals in the intestines that result from boosting detoxification is to primarily use Chlorella. The clay and charcoal will help some too. In addition, I may also occasionally substitute IMD Intestinal Cleanse or PectaClear EcoNugenics for Chlorella. If I do use EDTA suppositories, it will be to help slowly pull out heavy metals like lead that I’m loaded up with (based upon testing) and will be considered to be completely separate from the focus of this article. In other words, my focus is more on gently increasing detoxification in general and adding in binders at safe levels to help ensure the toxins are eliminated.

After all, there are risks in ramping up detoxification. Your body in its wisdom sequesters toxins it can’t remove to minimize their harmful effects. For example, lead is tucked away into your bones. If you ramp up detoxification of lead by taking EDTA suppositories, this lead will be moved out of your bones and into the blood stream. If your kidneys are already weakened, you could get into real trouble. CIRS is all the trouble I need. My approach will be to slowly ramp up detoxification and use gentle binders. I’m not in a hurry. I don’t need to layer on the effects of moving too many toxins on top of CIRS symptoms.

So I want to finish up this discussion on heavy metal binding by talking a bit about Chlorella quality and dosage. Since Chlorella is good at soaking up toxins, it’s important that this tiny alga is grown in a pristine environment. One study shows that Chlorella out of Korea is best followed by Taiwan with product out of China and Japan to be avoided. Dr. Klinghardt has recommended either BioPure Organic Chlorella ($0.37/gram) or VitaGreen Chlorella ($0.27/gram).

After reading The Truth About Chlorella, I decided I wanted to try and find an organic Pyrenoidosa Chlorella from either Korea or Taiwan with cracked cell walls preferably using the “Pressure Release Method”. After some digging, I decided upon Raw Power Chlorella ($0.10/gram). According to the manufacturer, Raw Power Chlorella is grown in Taiwan over 1300 miles from Japan (Fukushima radiation) and is tested before shipping and upon arrival in the USA for radiation, bacteria, and heavy metals. Testing is important especially since according to research on Herbal Transitions, some Chlorella may contain viruses. Besides, it doesn’t hurt that the price is less than most.

In terms of dosage, I defer to Dr. Klinghardt’s Neurotoxin Elimination Protocol. The standard maintenance dosage for grown ups is 1 gram taken 3-4 times/day. During the more active phase of the detoxification when metals are actively pulled out, the dosage is increased to 3 grams taken 3-4 times per day. As with any binder, take Chlorella away from meals, supplements, and medicines.

In addition to other binders, my plan is to take at least one 3-gram dose of Chlorella daily. At 30¢/gram this works out to 90¢ per 3-gram dose for Chlorella. Chlorella isn’t cheap.

Detox Protocol Summary

It’s time to put together all the details from this article into a condensed plan. To begin, make sure to read over the section on PreTox. It’s important to have removed as many extraneous sources of toxins as possible before ramping up detoxification. This includes getting toxic chemicals out of your home and avoiding consuming caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sleeping pills, NSAIDS, steroids, and so on – See Phase I Detoxification. If your health is really suffering or you haven’t removed noxious toxins like mercury fillings, then starting to move toxins by increasing Phase I and II detoxification pathways probably isn’t a good idea.

Notes: I realize we’re taking binders relatively close to mealtimes. As such, there is some risk food nutrients may be bound up by the clay and charcoal. When possible, space taking clay and charcoal further away from food. In addition to enhancing the Phases of detoxification, it always makes good sense to exercise and do some re-bounding to keep lymph moving. Also, we know that some toxins will be excreted in urine and sweat. Given this, make sure to drink plenty of water and consider using a FIR sauna. Note: It may make sense to substitute PectaClear EcoNugenics or IMD Intestinal Cleanse for Chlorella on occasion.

Conclusion

It’s been a challenge coming up with this detoxification protocol. As stated, my goal was to gently ramp up the body’s natural detoxification pathways and then to use binders to prevent them from being reabsorbed. In fact, I decided to come up with this protocol for myself after attempting VIP. About two weeks into VIP, I started feeling very toxic – like my liver and kidneys couldn’t keep up. It was bad enough that I set VIP aside so I could regroup. In speaking with Dr. Ackerley, she commented that this is a common reaction and the general advice is to back down on VIP dosage to moderate symptoms.

I decided to go one step further and see if I couldn’t find a way to give my detoxification pathways a boost without spending too much money. The result is this protocol. I know from the positive effects from pervious use of liposomal GSH that the protocol has real potential. In addition, knowing how hard it is to keep track of supplementation, I decided to keep dosing around mealtimes – even though with liposomal Vitamin C it would be better to divide up the doses even more. Everything is a trade-off.

In the end, I’m simply combining known-to-be-helpful treatments into an overall program making sure to be careful about dosage and timing. These facts combined with starting slow along with all the other precautions I’ve mentioned should make this a very helpful protocol with relatively low risk. May you be well, happy, and free!

Detox Series

4 thoughts on “GSH Detox Protocol”

Excellent post Greg! Regarding your statement, “Apparently, certain foods have similar segments of amino acids in their protein makeup as gluten to such a degree that the body views them as being one and the same. As a result, eating these foods can trigger the same reaction (cross-reactive) as if the person ate gluten. That’s why some that go gluten-free don’t realize significant benefit.” I can attest to that.

I turned out to have an amazing array of food intolerances, which I found out the slow, but cheap way (food family elimination and testing, ala Dr. Theron Randolph style). I was severely reactive to wheat, barely, oats, rye, rice, corn, and so that left me with some more unusual grains to test. I was fine with millet and (American) wild rice. Then I was figuring I would be fine with teff and sorghum, since I had never eaten those in my life. To my shock, they were as bad as corn or wheat for me! So, must have been some of those cross-reactive compounds. Now I’m healed and can eat any of them when traditionally prepared, organic and non-gmo (even corn and wheat!), except oats. Never got that back. Thanks for the great post and all the helpful tips in it!

As always, you make some great points. Food testing done well does take some diligence. I think most with CIRS have a long list of foods they’re reacting to. We know from Dr. Shoemaker that low MSH impairs the gut lining. Also, I think its so cool that you can eat many of the foods that once gave you trouble!

I know when I was still really sick with a lot of symptoms, it was impossible for me to follow “The Plan” – an elimination diet. Now that I’m mostly symptom free, I notice right away when I eat a food that doesn’t work for me. For example, I love butter but it gives me a serious stomach ache and drags down my energy. Last week I thought I’d be clever and clarified some grass-fed butter into Ghee as I assumed it was the casein that was giving me trouble. It was a bit better but still didn’t work.

To be honest, I just gently melted the butter and then poured off the “ghee” leaving most of the solids sitting on the bottom of the pan. I didn’t use a cheesecloth or anything to filter the butter so some solids did get into my ghee. Now I’m thinking I may try one more time using directions like PaleoLeap – Ghee.

So I have a question for you. Do you have any tricks for helping people that are still reactive from CIRS discern when a food is giving them trouble? In The Plan, the author suggests monitoring for slight increases in weight after first eating a very plain diet for a period and then systematically introducing one food at a time. My weight bounced all over regardless of what I ate. I don’t know, maybe it was because I was reacting to so many foods but it could also just be from all the inflammation at the time. Any thoughts?

To answer your question about how you can tell… in my experience, I couldn’t tell I was reacting to a food until I got rid of all of the biggest offenders. I had to be VERY precise to be able to tell, because I was doing exactly what you said- reacting to so much that it was constant. I like the analogy of having the TV blaring, four dogs barking, the radio playing, a leaf blower blowing, your alarm clock going off, and then trying to listen for a new sound. You’ve got to turn most of it off to be able to discern anything from one another.

Doing this is not easy when a ton of things you eat are “making noise”. It takes much diligence, but I was successful with it, and that’s what led to my healing a great degree. Transitioning to GAPS and then getting out of mold (and mold out of me) seemed to complete most of the gut healing.

The doctor who taught my Dr. Randolph’s method gave me a few steps:

1. Before eliminating any foods, you introduce new foods into your diet- new carbs, proteins, veggies and fruits. Ones you’ve never eaten before. And you introduce them into a 4-day food family rotation. (There are lists to study from that even show what animals are closely related. Thankfully, most fish are not closely related.) So, I’d have A, B, C, &D, days. Tapioca/cassava, buckwheat, taro, duck eggs, different fish – you find as many things as possible to add in.

2. After you know how to eat new things and in a diversified rotary diet, then you start taking away. The most common first step is to eliminate all cereal grasses, including every single thing that is a derivative. This eliminates many supplements and most processed foods. So, besides corn, wheat, rice, barely, oats, rye, wild rice, sorghum, teff, job’s tears, cane sugar (it’s a grass!), and lemongrass, you also have to avoid all derivatives like “modified food starch”, dextrose, glucose, cellulose (just about anything ending in “ose”), citric acid, and even things like xanthan gum. Almost all of these are made from corn or wheat. Iodized salt has dextrose in it – and that one eluded me (and was making me sick) until I finally looked at the label. You must read everything, and look at lists of what food additives are made of. Even something with “calcium” in it can be different than you think…not just a mineral. A “corneral”. That’s a joke, but you wouldn’t believe everything made from corn. I couldn’t have any supplements for quite awhile.

3. After not eating anything in that food family (we started with grasses) for four days, on the fifth day, you take your pulse rate in the morning. Then you eat one spoonful of the pure food. So, if that’s corn, you’d eat a little cornmeal. You could cook some into a porridge and use it for the test the whole day. You could not eat, say, a corn chip because the test would not be pure. After eating the food, you take your pulse again in 5 minutes, and then in a half hour and then in an hour, and then in two hours. If your pulse rate goes up – or if you feel weird, of course – then you are sensitized to that food. If it doesn’t, then for lunch you eat about a 1/2 cup of the food, and you do the pulse process again. Then repeat for dinner checking for a negative response. The purest test is to not eat anything else on that day you are testing, but you could add things in later in the day. You watch for any other reactions or changes. Like getting sleepy or getting hyped up, feeling gassy or acid reflux, anything itching or twitching. And cravings. These are not normal, contrary to popular belief.

Those are the safe directions. I guess I’m a glutton for punishment, because I didn’t do the third step that way. On the 4th day of no cereal grasses, I was feeling different. Clearer headed, my eyes didn’t hurt, not “migrainy” (this was huge), and my insides didn’t ache. I felt quite good – better than I had in a long time. So, on that 5th morning, I tested corn – a whole cup of it. I thought “I really want to know more quickly”. Famous last words. In 20 minutes I went from feeling great to a raging migraine and was horribly sick a couple days. Heart palpitations, shaking, and, to my amazement, extreme anxiety. Ah hah! Oh, yeah, and my pulse rate was way up. 🙂 So, you watch for every reaction in your body, not just the pulse.

Learning about the anxiety component was huge for me. Dr. Randolph talks about this in his books. People will have plus or minus reactions to things they are sensitive to – so getting sleepy after you eat is a minus reaction, getting hyped up after you eat is a plus reaction. Depression is a severe minus, and anxiety is a severe plus reaction. I found that things that I thought were “normal” were all reactions, too. Like getting sleepy, a gurgly tummy, any acid reflux, belching, hiccuping – oh man was I a hiccuper. And of course, brain fog. As I tested more things, the nicer way, and I found that if I hiccuped after eating something, that was a definitive sign.

After eliminating all the stuff, I got to feel what normal should really be. I had ZERO food cravings. Even not being able to eat the things I was used to – I didn’t crave them! I didn’t get tired or anxious, or brain foggy. Of course, I did if I accidentally ate the wrong thing. And then I’d figure out what did it, eliminate that.

The issue that can happen is you can be sensitized to so much that it’s hard to find enough to eat. That did happen to me, and that’s why the new foods and the rotation diet are so important. But that’s another story that goes beyond your question. Someday I’ll get this up on my website, with full directions…

Funny story, I tried making ghee, too. A part of figuring out whether I was lactose intolerant, protein intolerant or something else. I almost knocked myself out making the ghee. Literally. As it heated, I got a big whiff and became radically ill (as in vomity!) and fainted slightly, where you come to as you’re going “down for the count”. Turns out, butter, when heated, releases a toxin. Veterinarians know this – I later saw a question in “Ask a Vet” about birds and non-stick pans (which can release gasses deadly to your pet bird). The vet also listed heating butter too hot as something that can kill your bird. There it was, proof that I was a canary! At least I finally learned why I felt very ill when going into certain bakeries and patisseries. If the croissants were baking, I got very sick. I’m much better now, and can tolerate it.

Point is, there are a lot of factors in each food that could be causing a reaction. And it’s tricky, so being thorough counts. Exactly like you pointed out.

Wow, awesome reply. Thank you! I think it really helps define the “lay of the land” when it comes to food allergies. Also, I know you’re really diligent and observant. These seem to be essential behaviors to recovering from an illness that creates so many health issues.

Regarding being canaries, I think anyone that suffers from an illness that is a result of the havoc humans have wrecked on the biology of this planet is a canary nowadays. I include CIRS in this category that I attribute in part to Frankenstein molds resulting from the use of fungicides like Benomyl – thanks DuPont. I pray that not too many tens of thousands more will have to suffer terribly before we give up trying to get more stuff at the expense of everything else.

Thanks again. I can hardly wait for your website 🙂

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